US ends its 20-year-old war in Afghanistan

The United States has announced the end of its 20-year-old war in Afghanistan as the last American military flight flew out of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul shortly before the August 31 deadline. “I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the mission to evacuate American citizens, third country nationals and vulnerable Afghans,” US Central Command Commander Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie told reporters through a virtual news conference.

Every single US service member is now out of Afghanistan, McKenzie said, announcing the formal end of America’s longest war, less than a fortnight before the 20th anniversary of the September 9/11, in which Al Qaeda terrorists blew up the twin towers in New York. The terrorist strike forced the US to enter Afghanistan and overthrow the Taliban rule who then had provided safe havens to the Al Qaeda leadership.

America’s 20-year-old military presence in Afghanistan has ended, President Joe Biden announced, hours after the United States withdrew all of its soldiers from the war-ravaged country. Now, our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended, he said, thanking armed forces for their execution of the dangerous retrograde from Afghanistan as scheduled — in the early hours of Tuesday (August 31) with no further loss of American lives. Biden said he will address the nation on Tuesday. For now, I will report that it was the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs and of all of our commanders on the ground to end our airlift mission as planned. Their view was that ending our military mission was the best way to protect the lives of our troops, and secure the prospects of civilian departures for those who want to leave Afghanistan in the weeks and months ahead. The president said he has asked the Secretary of State to lead the continued coordination with US international partners to ensure safe passage for any Americans, Afghan partners and foreign nationals who want to leave Afghanistan. This will include work to build on the UN Security Council Resolution that sent the clear message of what the international community expects the Taliban to deliver on moving forward, notably freedom of travel, he added.(PTI)